Women’s Wrestling is Hot Right Now…Especially in NYC

Women’s pro wrestling is hot right now. Not long ago were women’s matches considered ‘bathroom breaks” by many wrestling fans, thanks to the longtime portrayal of women as sex symbols with little in-ring talent when seen at wrestling’s highest level, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

However, as the 21st century continues to see the rise of equality between the sexes, we have seen a transformation in WWE where the “Diva’s era” has become a time when women are respected as elite in-ring performers capable of drawing a large audience. Last year saw Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks main event several shows including Monday Night Raw but the major highlight came in October when the two women were chosen to main event the Hell in a Cell PPV. A first ever occasion that put an exclamation point on my first sentence of this story. Women’s pro wrestling is hot right now!

It isn’t only at pro wrestling’s highest level that this is happening. A top independent company in the New York City region has also joined the movement. Based in Staten Island, Warriors of Wrestling, who recently celebrated their nine year anniversary,made history in January when they featured their first-ever women’s main event at “New Beginnings.” This remarkable event told the classic story of veteran vs. rookie as women’s wrestling icon and former WWE Superstar,Lisa Marie Varon, formerly known as Victoria, took on local standout and rising star Nikki Addams.

As per Warriors of Wrestling owner Joe Bellini, this historic match was supposed to be different. “[It was] supposed to be Mickie James but she re-signed with WWE.” Shortly after, Lisa Marie was secured for the match providing a great substitute. When asked why he chose Nikki Addams to be featured as Lisa Marie’s opponent, Bellini said, “Nikki was the most qualified and is rising fast.”

Bellini is absolutely right about Nikki Addams. She has been wrestling for seven years and is quickly gaining recognition on the independent scene having wrestled for ten different companies in 2016 (as per cagematch.net) including Combat Zone Wrestling and Tier One Wrestling. She also wrestled eleven different matches for Warriors of Wrestling last year alone. Simply stated, she is on a roll.

Nikki was informed of this big match with Lisa Marie shortly after the nine-year anniversary show in December. Upon learning the news, she was very excited. “I’ve been a fan of hers since she began wrestling in WWE. She is incredible” said Addams. She continued, “[This match] allowed me to work with a pioneer in women’s wrestling and allowed me to display my ability and be seen on a bigger scale.”

The match was fantastic and the crowd was very responsive. Lisa Marie started off the match receiving cheers but soon adopted a heel persona that told the story of a veteran taunting the young up-and-comer, Nikki. By that point, the crowd was firmly behind Nikki as she fought from behind and came away victorious with the biggest win of her career.

Following this historic contest, Nikki was asked what the future holds for her. “Short term and long term [goals] are both the same to me. I want to continue to get better in the ring, physically and stay motivated. I hope to expand more and travel and try to get to new stages in my career overall.”

Nikki was asked if she thinks Warriors of Wrestling should have a Women’s Title. She said “One hundred percent. We work hard too and of course there is a demand for it, this is the women’s wrestling revolution!”

Fortunately, there is good news for Nikki Addams and wrestling fans alike, as Warriors of Wrestling announced on February 2, 2017 that they will be presenting their first ever all women’s show featuring a 16-woman tournament to crown the first-ever Warriors of Wrestling Women’s Championship on April 8, 2017.

This show will exclusively feature women’s wrestling and the following list of female competitors has been announced as follows: